Junior Adventures Group @ Fairfield Park Lower School

School

Unique reference number (URN): 2518500 Address: Fairfield Park Lower School, Ruskin Drive, Fairfield, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG5 4SG Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 11/02/2019 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Dawn Until Dusk Ltd

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

Leaders have not deployed staff effectively enough to ensure that routines are consistently well organised. As a result, collection arrangements are prolonged. This means children spend unnecessary time waiting before entering the club. Leaders have not considered how lengthy transitions and environmental factors affect children's behaviour and ability to regulate their emotions, particularly for those who benefit from greater structure or additional support. For example, children wait in a hot and poorly ventilated room before walking safely to the club. During this time, they become increasingly unsettled, leading to disagreements and reduced engagement.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

Leaders have implemented additional leadership support, reflective discussions with staff and behaviour management training. However, these actions have not been implemented quickly enough to address the impact of staffing shortages and inconsistencies in daily routines.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

Staff respond effectively when children's behaviour deteriorates. They use calm explanations, co-regulation and positive interactions to help children understand expectations and resolve conflict. Once settled, children behave well and demonstrate positive relationships with staff and their friends. Activities based on children's interests encourage participation, helping them play cooperatively, build friendships and enjoy their time at the club. Staff praise children's positive choices and create a welcoming atmosphere.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

Leaders closely monitor attendance and promptly contact families and the school if a child who is expected does not arrive. This helps ensure that children remain safe and accounted for.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Leaders have not acted quickly enough to ensure that staffing arrangements consistently meet children's welfare needs. As a result, operational decisions do not consistently promote children's wellbeing. For example, the club has operated with reduced staffing for several months, limiting leaders' ability to deploy staff flexibly during key parts of the session. Consequently, there are times when children do not receive the level of supervision, support and engagement they need. This impacts on children's wellbeing and experiences at the club. Although an accident was managed appropriately during the inspection, leaders acknowledged that the level of support observed was not typical because senior leaders were also present.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Staff know most children well and respond promptly, when children require reassurance or first aid. They supervise them carefully, complete accurate headcounts and follow attendance procedures effectively. Mealtimes provide healthy food in a relaxed environment, where adults model positive social interactions and safe eating practices. Staff communicate effectively with parents and carers at the end of each session. They share relevant information to promote continuity of care. Warm and nurturing relationships help children to feel secure and valued. Staff provide reassurance and encouragement that supports children's emotional wellbeing and helps them develop positive relationships with their peers.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders do not have secure oversight of the identification and support of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Systems are in place to gather information from parents and carers through an online booking system. However, these processes do not consistently provide staff with sufficient information before children attend. As a result, staff are not always fully prepared to meet children's individual needs, particularly where bookings are made at short notice. This reduces the effectiveness of early support and means that inclusion is not consistently embedded across the provision. Leaders are aware of the need for changes and have plans are in place to strengthen admission arrangements. They do not ensure that systems for identifying and responding to children's additional needs are sufficiently robust. This means that all children, regardless of when they start attending, receive consistently inclusive experiences.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Where leaders have sufficient time to gather information from families, seek advice from the host school and relevant external professionals, this helps staff to develop a secure understanding of children's individual needs. They use this knowledge to provide reassurance, adapt activities and support children's emotional wellbeing. Positive relationships with parents and carers help to maintain continuity of care. All children receive a warm welcome and encouragement to participate alongside their peers.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Recent changes in leadership and staffing have created instability at the club. As a result, improvements have not been implemented quickly enough. While leaders have offered support and guidance, weaknesses in staffing, staff deployment and operational routines have not been addressed with sufficient urgency. Consequently, children do not consistently experience well-organised sessions. Leaders have identified areas for improvement, but these changes have not always been made quickly enough to consistently enhance children's everyday experiences.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders recognise that arrangements to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities need to be strengthened further. Although they gather information from parents and carers , the school and other professionals, leaders have not established effective systems to ensure that all relevant information is shared with staff before children start. As a result, the club is not always fully prepared for children who join at short notice, and support is not consistently in place from the outset. Leaders have not consistently monitored environmental conditions to ensure that the premises remain suitable and comfortable for children throughout the session. As a result, factors that affect children's comfort and enjoyment, such as excessive heat, have not always been identified and addressed promptly.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders promote a reflective culture. Staff feel well supported through supervision and professional discussions. Parents appreciate the flexibility the provision offers. Leaders demonstrate the capacity to improve because they accurately understand their weaknesses. However, they now need to ensure that actions are implemented swiftly and are monitored rigorously so that improvements have a sustained and measurable impact on children's experiences.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Leaders have not maintained sufficient oversight to ensure that daily routines are organised consistently well to meet children's needs. As a result, children do not always experience calm and well-organised transitions between school and the club. For example, children wait unnecessarily in a hot and poorly ventilated holding room before entering the club. This reduces their comfort, contributes to frustration and makes it more difficult for some children to regulate their behaviour.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Most children feel welcomed and included by caring staff, who build positive relationships with them. However, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities do not always receive the support they need when they arrive at the club, particularly if they attend at short notice. This is because staff do not always have enough information to fully understand and respond to their individual needs before they arrive. Although leaders recognise this weakness and have plans to strengthen admissions arrangements, children do not yet consistently experience inclusive support from their first session.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Once children arrive in the club, they are greeted warmly by familiar adults. Staff take time to talk with children, comfort them, when needed, and support them to resolve disagreements calmly. Children know that adults listen to them and help them to understand their feelings and behaviour. Those children attending regularly benefit from key persons, who understand their interests and emotional needs. This helps children to feel secure and valued.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children enjoy spending time with their friends and choose from a range of activities, including craft, imaginative play and games. Staff encourage children to make choices and participate. Children share healthy snacks together. They develop their social skills through conversations with adults and their peers. Parents receive appropriate information at collection. This helps to ensure continuity for children between home and the club. Leaders have an accurate understanding of the areas requiring improvement and have started to implement changes. However, this oversight has not been effective enough to ensure that improvements are implemented swiftly or have a consistent impact on children's day-to-day experiences.

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Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

ensure that information about children's additional needs is gathered, shared and acted upon promptly, enabling staff to provide effective support before children attend 26/06/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure daily routines and transitions are consistently well organised, minimising unnecessary waiting times and promoting children's positive behaviour and emotional wellbeing 26/06/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that staffing arrangements are sufficient and staff are deployed effectively so that all children consistently receive responsive and inclusive care 26/06/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that the premises and environment remain suitable for the care of children through regular monitoring of environmental risks 19/06/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that identified areas for improvement are acted upon swiftly, monitored rigorously and evaluated effectively, so that all children consistently benefit from high-quality and inclusive provision 26/06/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, the special educational needs coordinator, children and parents and carers during the inspection.

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About this inspection

We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

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Address:

Fairfield Park Lower School Ruskin Drive, Fairfield Hitchin Hertfordshire SG5 4SG

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 15:15 - 18:00

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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